Horse-detacher



VA (No Model.)

E. c. BURNETT. HoRsE DETAGHE.

. No. 501,490. i Patented July 18, 1898.

NITED STATES ELISHA C. BURNETT; OF CIFAX, VIRGINIA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501.490, dated July 18, 1893.

Application fiie March 11, 1898.

.To all -whom it may concern- Be it known that 1, ELIsHA C. BURNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Cifax, in the county of Bedford and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Horse- Detacher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tohorse-detachers of that class in which the traces or tugs are held to the whiffietree by detachable connections that are simultaneously operated to release the'said tugs or traces, and the object of the same is to simplify the construction of devices of this Character and to make them more positive in their operation.

With these and other ends in view, the invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of shafts or thills having a detaching whiffletree mounted in connection therewith and harness in position therein embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a'top plan view of the whiffletree disconnected, together with the attachment therefor contemplating the invention. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one end of a whiifletree on an enlarged scale.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a pair of shafts or thills, on which is movably mounted a whi'ffletree 2, having' the ends thereof provided with U-shaped hooks that project rearwardly and are open at their front sides. Adjacent to the opposite ends of said Whiftletree are pivotally mounted the for- Ward ends of levers 4, that extend backwardly from the Whiffletree an'd are forme-d with apertured ears 5 adj acentto their pivotal point, having apertures therein in which are hooked the inner ends of looking-bolts 6, that are located below the said levers and extend outwardly in opposite directions through openings 7, formed in the inner walls of the hooks 3 and are arranged to pass through openings 8 in the outer walls of said hooks that are in alignment with the inner openings 7.

Secured to the rear parts of the inner opposing sides of the levers 4 are fiat springs 9,

Serial No.465.565. (No model.)

whose front ends bear against, and are retained in position by,posts 10, that vertically rise from ears 11, formed on the rear edge of the whiffletree, and by means of which the said leversv 4 are normally forced outwardly from each other to position the bolts 6 in locked engagement With the hooks 3, and to cause the said bolts to always stand across the openin'gs of the said hooks unless the le- Vers 4 be operated to retract the same against the action of the springs 9. The inner ends of the levers4 are provided with eyes 12, in which are mounted rings 13, and inside of the said levers links 14 are movably connected to the whiffletree and of themselves have twist links or hooks 15 connected thereto. The opposite ends of an Operating cord, cable or chain 16 are passed through'the rings13 and attached to the links or hooks 15, ora permanent attachment of the said links or hooks 15 may be made to the ends of the said rope, cable or chain and the said links or hooks 15 passed through the rings 13 and connected to the links 14. Either mode of attachment may be employed, as the result is not changed in the least thereby, and on the said rope, cable or chain is mounted an Operating handle or pull 17,ha ving an eye 18 that loosely engages the said rope, cable or chain andwhich may be conveniently positioned in the vehicle to be quickly operated to simultaneously draw the levers 4 inwardly toward each other and retract the bolts 6 from the hooks 3.

It will .be understood that the rear ends of the tugs or traces are inserted in the hooks 3, the bolts Ghaving been first retracted, and then said bolts are released and will pass through the cockeyes of the said tugs or traces to secure the latter in connection with the whiftletree. If it is necessary to release the tugs or traces from the whiflletree to avert accident consequent upon the running away of the horse or horses, the Operating handle or pull 17 is drawn backwardly and the rope, cable or chain 16 pulls the levers 4 inwardly toward each other and retracts the bolts 6 to release the tugs or traces and permit the horse or horses to pass outwardly from the shafts. o

Eachl of the shafts or thills is provided with a stop staple 19, and to the back-band 20 of IDG the harness is riveted or otherwise secured a ring 21,the said ring being duplicated on opposite sides of the back-band and the tug'or holdback straps work in these rings and run from thence backwardly to the rings of the breeching. The thills or shafts also pass through the said rings and the hold-back action necessary is eifected by the said rings engaging the stop staples on said shafts or thills. Vhere adonble team would have the ilnprovelnent applied in connection therewith, it will be nnderstood that the tngs or traces would be released in a manner similar to a single pair of tugs or traces, and the pole would work in a ring on the breast-strap and against a staple in the pole similar to those on the thills or shafts set forth.

The construction and arrangement heretofore set forth embodies a valuable improvement in h'arness, and the whole device will effectually prevent serious accident arising from runaways and will provide for the driving of the wildest teams by anyone With perfect Safety, as in the case of a runaway they can be quckly released by Operating the devices as heretofore set forth.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

I'Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed is- In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a whiffletree having hooks at the outer opposite ends thereof that extend rearwardly and open at their front ends, a pair of levers having their front ends pivotally connected to the whiffietree inside of and adjacent to the said hooks, the said levers extending at an angle rearwardly from the said whiffletree and terminating at their outer ends in eyes, a looking bolt pivotally connected to each of said levers in rear of the point of connection between the same and whiffletree and freely moving through openings in the opposite sides of each of the said hooks, said bolts being positioned in a line substantially parallel with the whiffletwree and at an angle to the levers, flat Springs secured to the whiffietree and extending rearward and bearing against the inner sides of the levers to thereby normally force the said levers outwardly from each other and hold the bolts across the hooks, and Operating cords connected to the whiffletree between the levers and run loosely through the eyes at the rear ends of the levers, snbstantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. i

ELISHA O. BURNETT.

VVitnesses:

Ro. S. QUARLES, O. O. KEETH. 

